Walter jyei



Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

, v rnasse Parent OFFER.

WALTER Bran so BELLE, or new roan, n. Y.

GAME CLUB.

Application filed August 31, 1922. Serial No. 585,384.

7 '0 aZZ 'w/wmit may concern:

Be it known that I, Wnmfen B. So Raisin, a citizen of the United.States, and resi dent of New York, in th county of New York and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GameClubs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to game clubs, such as golfclubs, and has for itsobject to pro-- vide an improved striking portion. to impart a hi 'hervelocity and increase the travel of tie ball.

Different substances insertedin driving face of clubs have been used,but they are defective for one or more reasons. It'is believed that asteel striking face is too hard for maximum distance. A wood face isconsidered too soft for maximum distance. There are a number ofobjectionstothe use of the various materials differing in, resiliencybetween steel and rubber which have been suggested for inserts. Ivory,which is one of the best known materials is too expensive and bein. ofanimal nature shrinks and cracks. Har d rubber and various fibroussubstances are apt to crack and break if made of the desired resiliency,and,

many of these substances expand and contract wit-h heat and moisture.that a casein material, one form off-which is known as galalithovercomes the objections to previous materials, and gives decidedly moredistance, as in a golf driver, brassy, or spoon. This material is betteradapted to striking surfaces and imparting a greater distance to theball than any materials previously employed for inserts or facings, suchas ivory, wood, hard rubber, vulcanized fiber, glass, lead, bakelite,horn, rubber, celluloid,

fiber compositions, etc.

For purposes of illustration, the invention is shown in a golf club inwhich one or more pieces of galalith have been inserted in the strikingface. The improved resili ent insert may be held in place by any of thevarious means heretofore used, such for instance, as with the aid ofglue, dowel-pins, etc. Since galalith somewhat softens in steam, theinserts are first heated the desired amount on their inner ends and thenpressed into the club. 'The plastic heated inner end slightly headsinto, the routed end of the hole. With the inner end enlarged inthismanner, the inserted piece is firmly held in position. After being sawedI have discovered or out off substantially flush with the striking face,the galalith insert may be smoothed down even with the face of the clubby means of a cutting tool or abrasive.

This material galalith or a similar casein product can be colored asdesired, is independent of moisture and ordinary temperatures, does notexpand and contract, and does not chip, check, crack or flake afterprolonged use, and has the characteristic discovered by me of givingincreased distance to a ball whenstruck therewith. Besides plugs whichare conveniently applied both to old and new clubs, the invention can beused in the form of striking plates, blocks, heads, etc, wholly orpartly of this material.

The material galalith is made from goats milk by a process notdisclosed, and is apparently a hard casein product, but differs fromsome known casein products which are too soft and otherwiseobjectionable. So far as I am aware, I am the first to discover thesuperior virtues of a casein prod-, uct such as galalith, a specimenbeing filed herewith, for the striking faces of game clubs. Besides golfclubs the invention is applicable to polo mallets, bats, cues, malletsand numerous other game implements.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a section showing the plan view of a golf club embodying thepresent invention,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the club shown in Fig. 1,

Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 show other arrangements of inserts inthe striking face of agolf club,

Fig. 9 represents a golf club in which the entire striking face is madeof galalith.

The numeral 12 represents the lower or impact end of a olf club, such,for example, as a driver provided with the striking face 16 and counterweight 17 of lead or other heavy material to properly add the necessaryweight. In the embodiment illustrated, holes 13 are formed ..in thestriking face, routed or enlarged at their inner ends 14. The pieces ofgalalith to be inserted in the holes 13 are first heated by steam inorder to make their inner ends pliable. The inserts 15 of galalith arethen pressed into the holes when their inner ends striking the bottom 14of theholes become upset or expanded to form the small heads illustratedin Fig. 1 for securely retaining the inserts in position. On cooling,the material acquires a permanent set and becomes securely held in placeWithout the use of any glue or dowel-pins. The outer ends of the inserts15 may be sawed or out oii substantially flush with the striking face 16and then smoothed ofi' level with the striking face by means of acutting tool or abrasive. or, if desired, the striking face and insertsmay be roughened or knurled. From Figs. 3 to 11 inclusive it will appearthat the inserts may be arranged in a Wide variety of Ways. The entirestriking face of the club may be formed of galalith as illustrated in 9.or, it desired. the complete lower end of the club may be made ofgalalith and provided with the usual counter Weights since galalith maybe sawed or drilled with the ordinary Wood working tools.

Among the advantages from the use of galalith as a striking surface fora game club, such as goltdriver polo mallet. and other similar devices,may be mentioned its relatively low cost, durability to Withstand WearWithout breaking or cracking and freedom from effects of moisture andheat. It has the ability to give the greatest distance to the ball ofany materials.

I claim:

1. A game device for striking elastic objects having at least a portionof its striking face made of galalith.

2. A game club provided with an impact face having at least a portionthereof comprising a horn-like casein substance.

3. A golf club having at least a portion of its striking face ofgalalith.

' 4. A game club provided with a Wooden impact portion and having agalalith insert in its striking face.

5. The process of inserting a casein product in the striking face of agame club. which comprises forming a hole in said striking face. moistlyheating one end of said material to soften the same, inserting thematerial in said hole and upsetting the inner heated. end of saidmaterial against the bot tom of the hole.

6. A game club provided with a casein insert in its striking face, theinner end of said insert being expanded tobe retained in position.

7. A game device for striking elastic objects having at least a portionof its head of galalith.

8. A game device for striking elastic objects having a horn like caseinsubstance inserted between its center of mass and its striking face.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York.

WALTER BYRD SO BELLE.

